Keeping Distance, Courting Disaster
by AidenSurvival
Summary: Roy's on his own now. No one to boss him around, nothing can stand in his way. Wally understands this, yet also understands that even someone who prefers to work all alone needs a little companionship once in a little while.
1. Is Takeout Sufficient?

**A'N: I promise that this won't just be a one-shot. It'll be a short story with a few chapters here and there. Just something simple, that's all. I do realize that this chapter is in a "God view", meaning everything is explained in a third person point of view. I think I'll make the second chapter First Person POV. Not in Wally's POV; rather Roy Harper's POV. **

**Enjoy? **

**Disclaimer: I don't own them. Nope. DC Entertainment/Comics, WB, and Cartoon Network own the YJ characters'/franchise.**

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><p>In the flat near the residential district of Star City's red light region, Red Arrow proceeded to make his way into his apartment. Ever since the formation of the Young Justice league, he hasn't been the same ever since. He exchanged his previous super-hero name, his outfit, and his way of life. A simple "Audios" and a not-so-very-polite gesture earned him a very rapid departure from the Queen Manor from the whole ordeal.<p>

Roy was more than happy to leave. His adopted father was never the best at making the right decisions. As soon as the guy took him under his wing, Ollie had always been a less than ideal father figure. Roy could understand that his father was busy, but couldn't he allot more time to spend with his son? Sure, they're not biologically related, but it wouldn't hurt to at least spend a little quality time with the guy outside of hero work?

It didn't matter anymore. Roy was all grown up now. He had a life to live, bills to pay, college to attend. During his departure, Ollie did offer to help Harper in the financial department; Roy "politely" declined the proposal. After all, life **isn't **charity. Nothing is handed to you for free.

He decided in order to make it in life; you must become completely dependent on yourself. How in the hell are you supposed to make it merely by handling responsibility onto a third party? _**That's what I thought.**_ Roy found a job, earned him enough cash for a deposit to a sub-par apartment, managed to find some help in receiving aid to start college (Hey, how in the hell can you afford college without a little aid?), and lastly, discovered a certain Young Justice member found a way to his home.

Yep. By "a certain Young Justice member", he meant a certain speedster. How Kid Flash figured out of his whereabouts, Roy would never know. Well, he did, he just didn't really care. The only thing he worried about if he had enough food to feed the kid. The amount of food that the teenager consumed baffled Roy. Then again, he shouldn't be surprised. Barry had the same appetite.

An explanation as to how Wally discovered Roy's location? **Ask his geek-bird-friend, Robin. **

Turning the key and opening the door, a smudge of reds and yellows tackled the younger archer. Roy fell to the floor and hissed in pain. It didn't take a picosecond to realize that the mix of colors was none other than Kid Flash. With this, Roy snarled at the enthusiastic spawn of Barry. "**Wally!** Goddammit! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Kid Flash simply shrugged before offering a hand to pick up the fallen hero. "Oh, like you weren't expecting me to tackle you when you open the door? I did warn you I'm inviting myself over."

"That's beside the point," Roy hesitantly grabbed Wally's hand and pulled himself off from the floor. "You don't go tackling people. What happens if it was an enemy who opened the door?"

"Simple," he retorted, "I'd tackle them like I did with you, except I would chuck them through a brick wall."

"Fair enough, but don't do that again." Roy headed towards the refrigerator in the kitchen to check on what amount of food he had left. Surprisingly, the shelves inside were fully stocked with the goods he purchased from the night before. Thinking about what a Meta human would most likely consume, he conjured up some ingredients to make a pizza from scratch. "Is pizza good enough for dinner?" He looked to his far right to see Wally flipping channels on the television. "Sure? I'm not picky. Need any help?"

Glancing at said ingredients on the counter top, Roy decided that one homemade pizza wouldn't be enough, let alone two. Good thing Wally didn't visit often. Roy would be flat-broke and out of food in under a week if he did. "Uh, instead of cooking, how about I order some takeout?"


	2. Why Are You Still Here?

**A/N: Typed on my BlackBerry late at night. Errors galore. I'll correct 'em on a computer when I get the chance.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own them.**

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><p>To be honest, I really didn't want Kid Flash to be lurking around my apartment. With exams approaching near the corner, I couldn't afford another distraction. This "diversion" was being one hell of an annoying person if you ask me.<p>

Like I mentioned before, every time he visits, I have to re-stock the shelves with food. Does he purposely want me to starve? Bastard. Good thing I ordered takeout from a pizza-slash-Chinese restaurant.

I'll admit, he is a good friend...when he's not talking ninety miles an hour or looking through my belongings and scattering them on the floor... Alongside Robin; they've both been loyal to me. The only thing I want to know at this point is why KF insist inviting himself over every so often. Does he think I get lonely? I don't. I swear.

I'm not the type to rely on anyone. That quit months ago when I resigned from the league. I think Robin, KF, M'gann, and Kaldur should have followed suit. Even Artemis and Superboy after they were recruited in this whole 'team' should have too. Why they chose to remain under Batman's control is beyond me. I think they can do much better than that. "Covert" missions? Give 'em something real for once. The fact that they let *him* push them around is disturbing. Does he have some sort of freakin' mind control device on them?

Never mind. I already know the answer. They want to prove their selves worthy to their protégés. Bull. Shit. If you want to prove yourself worthy, work on your own. Only ask for help if you absolutely need it, not because you want it.

Here I am, getting carried away by something's that is not entirely my business. **Typical**. What I need to focus on is that peculiar red head dressed in his super hero outfit. Speaking of him...where did he go?

"Wally?" I call out as I turn my head in the direction of the living room.

Silence.

I try again, except my voice is a little rambunctious and out of hand instead of calm or "imperturbable" as I originally wanted it to be. "**Wallace Rudolph West**. If you don't tell me where you are in the next five seconds, for so help me I will hunt you down and hang you on the rooftops!"

A cool burst of wind and the sound of a door being thrown wide open let me know of his rapid appearance.

_That was fast._

"I'm back!" He exhaled at the top of his lungs. "Look at what I picked up." Sure enough, it was our takeout. Eight meat lovers for Wally to keep him satisfied, and one supreme pizza for me to consume all by myself—that is, if he doesn't manage to swipe it out of my hands. Ha. I got to give props to the guy; he managed to deliver them without tripping or falling. Those pizzas should last him what, fifteen seconds?

I say ten seconds. I'm being generous here.

"You couldn't wait the extra twenty minutes for the delivery to arrive?"

Wally sat the boxes down on the table, opening one for himself as he re-situated himself back in the couch he was previously sitting at. "I forgot to tell you," He spoke in between bites, "I'm really hungry, Speedy."

"It's. Red. Arrow." If you want to make me livid, feel free to call me by my previous identity. Go ahead. Make my day.

"Whatever. Fine, I'll call you 'Red Arrow'. I'm hungry. Grab a slice and come watch TV with me, will ya?"

Sighing, I succumbed to the oleaginous nutriment I call a "heart attack waiting to happen" and settled down next to the human disposal known as Kid Flash. In between the commercials, I caught sight of the kid stuffing yet another round of pizzas in his face at an alarming rate. I glanced at the empty boxes and counted not one, but eight boxes of pizza obliterated by Kid Mouth.

"Again, your appetite never ceases to amaze me Kid Fatty."

"Hey!" For a few seconds, he looks offended, but instead playfully punched me in the arm. "I got to keep up with my metabolism or I'll die of starvation."

"I've heard that before. Look, I'm not really that hungry. You can take the rest of my pizza." You still look like you'll eat a live turkey, go ahead and take the rest.

"Something wrong, Red?" Not really, I'm not in the mood to clog my arteries right now. Dig in and enjoy that greasy disaster.

"You're appetite makes me sick." It's half-true and half-false. Okay, I lied. It doesn't bother me in the least bit.

"Oh, ha," He snaps back in a mocking tone. "Your smart attitude makes me sick."

Deciding between playing along with his little contention of who can make the best comeback, I realize I needed to take a long-overdue shower. Fighting off criminals near a harbor and running back and forth to college and home can really make you sweat. "I'll be right back. I got to shower off the grime from today's work."

"Have fun with that. I'll cleanup for ya." Wally picked up the remnants of the empty pizza boxes and discarded them in the compacter. "Would you look at that, all done in under three-point-four seconds? I think we have a new record."

"Congratulations, I guess. Talk to ya when I get out of the shower. Maybe I'll even let you join if you behave." That ought to shut him up. I can tease, right?

"Dude! Not cool!" Wally's bugged out eyes and slack jawed face proved it worked. Was that a hint of lust in his eyes? Maybe I caught sight of it, maybe I didn't. You couldn't tell much with Kid Flash. The point is I freaked him out. That alone made my day.

"I'm kidding." For an added measure, I winked back at him before closing the door to the bathroom.

I seriously hope he doesn't take that for an invitation. I don't have anything wrong with showering with the same sex; he's a little too young for me. Maybe if he was older, less annoying, I'd say bring it on and show me what ya got.

Minutes after turning the shower on and stripping away my clothes, the soft creak of the door opening told a different story.  
>Wally took the gesture as an actual invitation. Smirking to myself, I opened the crimson red curtains to see an already half-naked Mr. West on the outside of the shower.<p>

"Got room for one more, sexy?"

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><p><strong>AN: Dear God. Am I cheesy or what? I realize Roy is a bit OOC. I'm sorry for that. I tried my best to act like him, but also made him more friendly if you will...**

**I'm not going in to any details about the next scene. You can picture it yourself. Next chapter's in Wally's POV.**


	3. Confrontation: The Flashback

**A/N:**** Here is Kid Flash's POV. Below contains various flashbacks leading to what happened in chapter two. **

**This is all I have for now.**

**This may be revised, or I'll leave it as is.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own them.**

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><p><strong>Five Months Prior….<strong>

A lot has happened to Kid Flash over the past couple of months. Bruises and shattered bones from missions involving rescuing the team before they reached their penultimate peril, getting saved by the team in a different situation involving KF not thinking everything through, and getting hell from his parents about revealing his sexuality.

Wait, what? Did you not hear? He's bisexual. The decision wasn't his to tell the team and his family, but a certain Artemis sort of blackmailed him into the whole ordeal. The blackmail being a certain video about a certain speedster dancing to Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy". Originally, Wally planned to reveal his sexuality in gradual steps. He planned to flirt in the most subtle of ways to the male members of the team, and then quickly deny it to keep the YJ members guessing and [eventually] questioning the libidinous speedster. After the interrogations, and more denial, Wally would soon tell each individual member that he is interested in both sexes. Genius plan, right?

Artemis knew all along. (Obviously.) The woman of secrets knew who he was interested in. Robin didn't seem bothered as he suspected his best friend liking the same and opposite sex years before joining the Young Justice division; Kaldur accepted him; Conner could care less. "Love is love." He assured him. M'gann practically jumped up and down and suffocated him in her embrace. Every single member of the team accepted him. All he had to do was to confront his Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris and his….parents.

Barry and Iris couldn't be any happier. They explained to him that he shouldn't be afraid of who he was. His parents… A totally different story… That's where it all went downhill. Wally's parents were a complicated species. Favorable by the public eye during the day, but become a pair of malignant hellions by nightfall. You think Kid Flash would be raised in a loving home? Think again. It was all **an act.** They didn't care. His father showed no emotions other than seething rage and utter disappointment in the young teenager. Acceptance isn't in Rudolph's vocabulary, and caring isn't in Mary's dictionary. There was a time that they showed genuine compassion for the boy. Sadly, that dissipated with age.

Where does this all tie in with Wally being worried about coming clean about his sexuality? Think of it in a political manner. There are republicans and there are democrats. In between the parties are independents and liberalist. Where most American's currently lean on the more liberal and democratic parties, Wally's parents were more conservative than anything. They refuse to acknowledge the ways of science and convict others for who they are. And what do fundamentalists condemn? Change and anything that's against their "set of rules" in a book we call "The Bible". Ever read the Ten Commandments? So has Wally. He already broke one of the rules; he figured he might as well tell his parents and get the bashing/insulting over with.

Later one evening, after dinner with his family, Wally returned from prepackaging his belongings (just in case) in his room and walked in the kitchen where his parents were located. "Can I ask you something?"

Rudolph looked up from the newspaper, clearly bothered by his son's reappearance. "What is it, you annoying twat?" His mother paused what she was doing and turned around to face her nervous son. "If it's about if you go out and run with your uncle, then go back to your room."

"It's not about that."

"What's so important then?" The older man asked.

"What would you do if I brought over a friend, and this friend wasn't exactly like other people?"

"What do you mean 'like other people'?" Both parents' skeptical looks told they didn't get the clue.

Wally sighed, deciding to ask the question directly. "What if the friend I wanted to bring over was…" he paused, "gay?"

Let's just say it didn't end too well. Especially after he announced to them that he was bi. Rudolph and Mary exploded with rage, all the while his mother giving him a total of five minutes to "get the hell out of our household". "You're no son of mine." his father deadpanned. Wally snatched his belongings and hitched a ride to the nearest train station. From there, he just started walking. He didn't want to take the train; he wanted them to think that…. He could simply sprint… after he changed into his Kid Flash uniform in an abandoned warehouse two blocks away. Making sure no one else caught sight of him changing; he dashed en route for the location in mind: Mount Justice.

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><p>Black Canary greeted him with open arms as the zeta beam announced his arrival through the hollowed out secret sanctuary. "If you ever need anything, you know you can come to me."<p>

"How did you-…oh. Barry must have told you about what happened?" He questioned, all the while wiping the tears off his freckled face.

Nodding in agreement, she put a hand on his shoulder. "No one should be rejected to their parents for any reason. You can stay here until your mentor arrives to pick you up."

"Thank you, Dinah." Everything turned to a blur as he ignored his team's questions and ran to lock himself in his room. He spent the remainder of his time there crying until he passed out from exhaustion.

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><p><strong>Recognized: Red Arrow, B06. Flash, 04.<strong>

Several hours later, he awoke to Roy lightly kicking the bed from the chair next to it. "What the hell?" The lights ahead were turned on, Barry was located across the room with both a look of concern on his face and a mix of anger, and Roy was next to him….with his mask off. _Barry must have had a hell of a time yelling at my parents, probably explains why he looks all mad and such. I bet Roy was with him. Wait….why is he here? Ask!_ "I totally forgot you had green eyes." _Why did I say **that** instead?_

"No, I have rainbow eyes." he sarcastically replied. In half a second, his expression sobered up. "Look, Barry told me what happened. If you want to talk about it, you can always talk to me."

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

"I-" _This wouldn't be the first time Roy has showed he cared, why am I so surprised? Because it's rare that he does show compassion? Yea, that's it._

Barry moved closer, sitting on the edge of his nephew's bed. "He means he can relate." Okay, Wally, think about what happened before you left. Relate as in being able to concede that he shares the same interest as me?  
>With this, Wally's eyes grew wide in both shock and excitement. "You mean you're bi too?"<br>The archer let out a low chuckle. "You were close, kid. I'm actually gay." Flash's protégé shot straight up from his position. _That's a surprise._ "You're gay? What about your past relationships with other women?" Both of the heroes face palmed, but only Barry started to lose control of his demeanor by attempting to laugh in silence, albeit blatantly making it obvious he wasn't trying hard enough to stifle the howling echoing through the closed space. A slight punch to the arm by Red Arrow managed to get Barry's attention back to reality. "Sorry. Won't happen again, I promise."

Kid Flash continued to stare at them. "It was an honest question!"  
>"Kid, those were cover ups." Roy admitted, getting up from the chair and scrambling to his feet. "I've got to go take care of some business in Star City. Robin will give you directions to my place if you ever want to come over. Not that I'm giving permission to Robin to give you my address, I know he will anyway." The archer bid both speedsters a farewell and headed to the zeta beam in the main hall.<p>

**Recognized: Red Arrow, B06.**  
>"You don't have to say that every time, you stupid machine!" The robotic voice really was starting to get on the teenager's nerves. A few seconds later, his body disintegrated into various particles, later to be reassembled at his arrival at his home city.<p>

"Roy's quite the looker, huh?" Barry smiled at his nephew and gave him a slight wink.  
>"Um, what? Err, Barry? You're scaring me." Seriously, where's he getting at?<br>Flash then dashed out of the room and re-appeared with more of Wally's belongings. "I've got the rest of your stuff; you want to head out now or later?"

"How about now? Because I really don't want to stay here and have Rob annoy me about what went on." Wally rushed in front of his mentor to block his path. "Umcanwetalkaboutsomething,you'rereallystartingtocreepmeout."

"Not now, kid. We'll talk about it when we arrive at my place."

"What about my parents?"

"Bru- I mean, Batman's helping us with the case. He's hired the most experienced lawyers around to help me get custody of you. Quit talkin' and get a move on, Iris made your favourite dish for dinner."

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><p><strong>Two Months After<strong>

About sixty days has passed since the incident with his parents took place at the West household. Several court hearings later, Barry and Iris were granted custody of their beloved nephew. Wally could finally rest with peace of mind knowing his parents were finally out of his life, he didn't have to go through all the arguments and countless fighting anymore. Thank god too. If it carried on any further and his father started to physically abuse him, his uncle would lose it and beat Rudolph senseless.

The talk he had with his archer friend he spotted near Central City, days after he left Mount Justice on that miserable day, helped him to fully come to terms and accept his sexuality. When Roy was about his age (before he rebelled and left Young Justice of course.), he received hell for being gay. Ollie accepted him, so did Black Canary, but the high school he attended? They were complete jackasses. What did the guy formerly known as 'Speedy' do? He took matters into his own hands. No one messed with him again. Red Arrow's advice proved to be the guiding light to Wally's conscious. "Here's my lesson about life, kid. People are going to give you hell whether you want it or not. There will be times that you wish you could die because of the friends you lost under various circumstances, there will be days where you don't want to leave your room for fear of being bullied because of who you are. I want you to know that it does get better. If anyone pushes you and breaks you, push back. Let them know you won't take their bullshit. Your mentors will tell you to 'be the better person' and 'walk away', but to hell with their advice. Listen to mine and you will be fine. I promise." Roy's speech remained embedded in his mind after that day.

Kid Flash followed his advice. Turns out, Red was right. Every student respected him, his 'bullies' never messed with him again, and pedestrians no longer harassed him. It did get better.

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><p><strong>Five Months after the Incident….<strong>

Wally began to develop feelings for the solo archer. How it started? Around the time Red Arrow started being nice to him more often. At first, Wally thought nothing of it. Then the clues pieced together, and Wally suspected of Red flirting with him. Or so he thought. He never had the time to ask him outright.

On that day when Kid Flash visited his friend in Star City, he found him busy with fighting various criminals. He headed to his apartment (Thank Robin for handing Kid Flash the address to Roy's place.), waiting for the guy to finish the job. Kid Flash hid behind the couch waiting to spook the archer, whom he called hours ago to alert he was inviting himself over, anticipating his arrival home be in any minute now…. Getting impatient with the whole ordeal of playing 'hide and seek', Wally heard the sounds of footsteps and the turn of the lock on the door indicating Roy's arrival. A second later, he pounced on the teen. Recognizing, watching Roy's expression turn to annoyance, pain, then to a neutral expression….He lend out his hand and led the man back inside.

A few hours of watching TV, eating and joking around, showering with his crush, and finally cuddling in bed with the guy; Wally decided there was no need to explain. Here he was, in Roy's arms. That's all Kid Flash wanted right now. _The questioning will have to wait. As of now, I finally got my wish. Why pester him around and ask questions now? I'll ask in the morning._

Wally yawned, snuggling closer to the body next him. The body heat emitting from Roy made the tired slender body fall into a peaceful slumber. Roy opened his eyes, peering over at the red head on his left side of the body. He smirked, wrapping his arms closer around the speedster. A gentle kiss on the forehead and a whisper followed after. "Goodnight, handsome." They both slept in tranquility that night.

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><p><strong>AN: Should I write about Roy's flashback as well? Let me know in the review section. Extra information: The grammar checker on the office suite included with Fedora Linux sucks. I'll have to revise this document once I get a hold of my twin sister's laptop and use Microsoft Office 2010 to edit it.**

**Having trouble reading documents on FFN? Try cleanPages for the Opera web browser, or try iReader for both Firefox and Google Chrome. :)**


	4. New Perspective

**Author's Note: I'm still working on completing this. Chapter 5 will be the continuation of this. **

**I need a beta.**

**Anyone up for it?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own them. Nope. DC Entertainment/Comics and Cartoon Network owns the Young Justice league.**

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><p>Roy awakened to the chirping of his military-grade cell phone buzzing away at the end table positioned next to his bed. He clutched the device in his right hand and looked at the bright blue LED caller-id screen from his bleary, tired eyes. The area code and number reminded Roy of the area code Central City uses. If it was one of the phones Batman handed the league, it certainly wouldn't be a number from Central.<p>

Knowing Batman, the identity would be unrecognizable if one of the members of the league called from the device. That narrowed it down to two residences. Either it could be Wally asking for help or wanting to come over, or it could be Barry complaining about how much Captain Cold is starting to get on his nerves lately. Being in an exhausted and muzzy state, you can imagine that Red Arrow wasn't prepared to hear both speedsters rant or beg for something. He answered nonetheless.

"Can we talk?" A hoarse, rushed voice asked. The particular voice in mind was not Wally. He had to find out who called him, so he did what any clueless person did. Request the name.

"Who is this?"

"It's Barry. Wally's uncle?" _That explains why the voice is so hasty. _

"Hey man, what is it that you want?"

"Wally recently got into a 'conflict' with his parents. Remember when you, uh-"

Sounds of static could be heard through the other line. Red Arrow assumed Barry passed under a tunnel or some other object that interfered with the cell signal on his phone, so he waited a full minute before he lost his patience.

"Come on Barry, I don't have all day."

"Remember when you revealed your sexuality to the masses?" _Where's he going with this?_

"Hmmm. Yea, I do. Taught whoever messed with me a lesson to not mess with Red Arrow." _I'm not lying. Nobody messed with me __**ever again**__._

"Back then it was Spee-"The scarlet man announced in a singsong type of manner.

Barry and Wally were part of the remainder of the Justice and Young Justice league that repudiated to accept his change of name. In a way, Roy reviled them for it. On the other hand, they've known him as his preceding super hero name for years. It makes sense for them to forget his new name once in a while. Except this is Barry and Wally we're talking about. They didn't forget. **They did it on purpose. **

"Shut it, scarlet." Roy growled at the receiver.

"Okay, okay 'Red Arrow'. Anyway, KF will be on his way to a specific 'mountain' in a few minutes. I was wondering if you would tag along with me to make him feel better about himself."

"You never explained to me…oh." Roy took a second to think twice about Barry's question about him coming out. Like a light bulb flickering on in his head, he decided to be bold by asking the inevitable. "Did Wally come out of the closet to his parents?" _I had to ask. Something tells me I'm right in one way or another. The excessive flirting with women must be a cover-up for the guy, I'm sure of it._

Barry exhaled. "And your next guess will be right as well. Yes, he did come out of the closet. He's bi. After being yelled by his ungrateful father, I can understand why Wally's so upset."

_Okay, he still likes girls. The flirting isn't a cover-up then. _

"Did you talk to his father without yelling or-" Barry interrupted him before he could finish his sentence.

"_Damn right I yelled at him_. What kind of father, or mother for that matter, would abandon their son and kick him to the curb just for his sexuality? That's not a reason. Hell, there should be no reason to kick your child out. Unless they're 26 and living in your basement, then I can understand."

"If you give me an extra twenty minutes, I can go to Rudolph's house and teach him a lesson or two..." _Just give me that allotted time to personally kick his father's ass and I'll come to Mount Justice with you._

"No. Red, you can't. Wait until I get custody of him, then you can do whatever you like. Remember, killing is not an option."

"I never said I'd kill." _I like to call it "severely injure"._

"You _were_ thinking it." The speedsters tone turned even more serious than before. Did he not trust the archer? Probably did. Barry thought Roy to be the violent type. He didn't blame him. He did have a tendency to overreact.

"Look Barry, you can continue to rant and rave about how terrible Wally's parents are on the phone or you can simply visit and explain in exact detail what exactly happened. I know you told me, but I want to know more."

"Open your door. I'm here." Barry merrily announced.

"What?"

"I said _open your door_. I'm already here."

Sure enough, a faint repetitious knocking could be heard outside of Roy's apartment door. He cautiously opened it to confirm if it was actually the scarlet speedster, Barry, and not a random prankster. True to his word, there he was impatiently tapping his foot waiting to be let in. "That was fast." Roy flipped his phone shut as he let the guy inside.

"I am the Fastest Man Alive." He replied. Barry casually walked into Roy's apartment, grabbing two beers from the fridge. Not once did he question the 18 year old about how he acquired the alcoholic beverages. He did not care. He needed something to take the edge off. "Want one, kid?"

The two vigilantes shared a six pack of alcohol exchanging information on what went on minutes before Barry called. It took a few moments for Red Arrow to calm down before he and Barry set foot to the zeta beam downtown.

As they were walking, Flash made small talk discussing various topics. Roy drowned out the speedster's constant ramblings until Barry jabbed at his sides. "Hey!"

"I had to get your attention, Red. You seem like you were lost in space or something. Did you hear what I said?"

"Not really." He confessed.

"What do you think of Wally?"

_What do I think of him? He's okay. _

"He's annoying."

Barry smiled. "Besides that; what do you really think of him?"

Roy stopped dead in his tracks. "Barry if you're trying to set me up with Wally…"

"I know he's a minor and you're 18, but just to let you know I have no problem with him dating you."

"…This coming from the guy who shared a couple of beers with me. I still can't believe you didn't get on to my case for that."

"What's the big deal? Every teen goes through a rebellious stage. The other day, I caught Wally sneaking a beer out of my fridge back in Central. I didn't tell Iris, but I did have a long conversation with him. As long as you hide your 'stash of booze' from him, I'll be fine. A tipsy speedster is a disastrous speedster."

They resumed their journey to the zeta beam. Roy looked to his side to find Barry sniggering to himself. "What is it Barry?"

"I took beer from a minor." He jested. Red Arrow rolled his eyes. "Hush. Enough chit chat, we're here."

The duo reached their destination. The giant device read their names audibly, loud enough to echo through the deserted sewer system. **Recognized: Flash, 04. Red Arrow, B06. **Barry let the archer go first before he followed suite afterward. "Batman sure did place this damn beam in the foulest place in Star City." Barry took one quick glance at the surrounding area while Roy glimpsed back at the speedster.

"Stop talking and walk forward, Flash."

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><p>Black Canary greeted them upon their arrival. "Barry," she said, "Roy. Wally's been asleep for half an hour. Would you like to discuss more about this, or drink some coffee to cover up the odor reeking from both of your mouths?" Both heroes stood there in shock. Dinah crossed her arms. "Roy, what did I tell you about drinking?"<p>

The archer lowered his head and muttered his response. "That I'm too young to get wasted?" Hearing no response from her, he added. "And if I'm ever caught drinking again, you have the right to kick me in the shins?" Making eye contact, he caught the older hero smile at his words. "I'll let it slip this time and look the other way. As for Barry," she pointed at the Meta "you're not off the hook…yet. Why did you agree to drink with Red Arrow?" Roy opened his mouth to protest, but he soon backed down when Black Canary put a finger in front of her mouth to signal him to be quiet. Barry fidgeted under her glare. "Technically, he didn't offer. I did."

"You brought a couple of beers over to his place?" The woman narrowed her blue eyes, edging closer to Flash.

"No ma'am. I took it straight from the fridge at his apartment. I was too mad to think straight. I figured a couple of beers would help me. I'm not drunk, I swear."

"I believe you. You speedsters don't remain drunk unless you continuously drink alcohol if I _recall correctly_." This time Barry's eyes remained open wide through the opaque lenses covering them, perturbed at the memory Black Canary implied in that very sentence. That was a dark day for the Fastest Man Alive. Witnessing the utter shock the speedster practically radiated, Roy got what Dinah was talking about. He chuckled slightly. "Lookin' shell-shocked Barry? Ah, the same face you made when Batman found out you snagged Wonder Woman. I got to admit, it was truly a 'Kodak' moment. Even Iris got into a little fun herself, no?"

Flash blinked away the memory and shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Afraid the big bad Bats will come and hang you off the rooftop again?" Roy's words ebbed when Black Canary snuck behind him, giving him a slight push toward the direction of the kitchen. "Go sober yourself up while I chit chat with Flash, okay?"

Their voices faded away once he reached the coffeemaker. He grabbed a mug from the cupboards and poured a cup of the bitter liquid into it. "I shouldn't have accepted that beer…even though it's mine." He muttered between sips. "Good thing that brooding bat isn't here."

"What about the brooding bat?" A distant voice interrogated.

He whirled around to catch Robin hanging from the ceiling above. Roy almost dropped his mug when the devious boy spoke up; Batman's protégé smirked at the man. "Can't I have some fun too? Sneaking up on you guys is way too easy these days. At least make it a challenge."

"I'm not hiding."

"Mhmm, right. What's this stuff with KF I've been hearing about?"

"You already know, why should I tell you?"

"I need it to be verified by asking a witness."

"I'm not the witness; you can ask your friend who's cooped up in his room."

"I tried, he wouldn't answer. At least tell me what you've heard, or I'll tell Batman you have beer in your apartment." He threatened. Roy scowled at the Boy Wonder. "Fine, I'll tell. You may want to grab a seat or something, because this will take a few minutes …"

* * *

><p><strong>The Conference<strong>

"You're telling me Wally's been going through hell before all this happened?" Black Canary sat down in one of the seats of what she dubbed the "confession room". The man opposite of her nodded silently in compliance, burying his face in his hands, recollecting the moments he caught Wally's father treating his son like he was some sort of insignificant being. The memories involving Rudolph hurting Wally proved to be unbearable for Barry. There were times when his nephew's father clenched his fist, ready to punch the poor kid, and there were times when Rudolph simply left the kid alone crying in the dark. If there was a god, Barry would ask him to send the older guy to the gates of hell. He deserved it. No father should treat his son that way. Raising a kid and treating them like a human should be a top priority, not a second class project. Barry shook the thoughts away to see Dinah clasping her hand on his in a comforting manner. "I know you probably feel angry about this whole ordeal. We all are. The good thing is your nephew doesn't have to face his father again. I'll have a talk with Bruce to see if he can help you gain custody of Wally. I fear Rudolph might end up fooling the crowds by denying what he committed in the past." The sad part, she's right.

"That's Rudolph for ya. Always wanting to keep up a 'reputation' he never really had." Barry sarcastically replied. "What you're saying is, we need evidence to prove that he's a bad father? I can bring you evidence. I can even be a witness. Iris can tag along as well. She hates Rudolph anyways." Iris and Barry shared the same opinions about Wally's father. As put by Iris, Rudolph was a "Good for nothing son of a bitch who should dig himself a hole and die in it." Cryptic as it sounds, Barry agreed to it. The only thing holding him back is his public image. Everyone expected him to be "Mr. Perfect". It's hard living up to that name when you've got page upon page of drama in your book. He could ask Batman to carry out the deed. Part of him knew Bruce would say no. Batman doesn't kill…but he can scare the hell out of a person when in his presence.

Black Canary smiled. "I got a better idea."

He raised his eyebrows, "May I hear this 'idea'?"

"I'm sure you'll guess before I even tell you. Here's a hint: It involves using scare tactics."

"Batman's going to interrogate Rudolph?"

"You could say that."

"I don't know, Dinah."

"Think about it, Barry. Rudolph obviously knows Wally's identity-"

"As he does mine." He added.

"True," she admitted, "but that's not the point. I'll get straight the point. Rudolph's been treating Kid Flash like he's nothing, and it's been putting a damper on his ability to focus on a slew of missions correct?"

"You are correct. He's been a little off lately."

"Wouldn't Batman want to know what's going on with the Young Justice members?"

He shook his head, agreeing with her words. "Um, yea he would for the sake of making sure that they operate at their peak performance during their missions."

"Let's say a little bird told him what's going on with Kid Flash. He finds out who is causing the problem. Now what would he do?"

"Find the source of the problem and eliminate it? Look, Dinah, Batman doesn't kill."

"I didn't say he would kill Rudolph, Barry. I'm saying he can get Wally's father to admit to his crimes." She finished explaining the plan to him. Black Canary raised from where she sat, hand gesturing to the door. "Shall we wake up Mr. West?"

* * *

><p>Artemis trekked her way to the gaming area from the training area along with M'gann and Superboy. They overheard a familiar Atlantean and a proverbial Robin deliberating with Red Arrow, going through the archer's step-by-step plan on how to take Wally's father down. Kaldur counted the reasons as to why Roy's plan would fail from the start; Robin made calculations on the display projected on the gadget attached to his wrist. Finishing up, Robin agreed with Aqualad stating the whole ordeal would be a "Waste of our time." Roy forcibly accepted the fact, begrudgingly tossing the idea aside.<p>

"Ahem." Artemis coughed, "You know we were eavesdropping on you guys. What's wrong with Kid Idiot? Problems with his father at home?" M'gann stared intently at Robin. "Robin, you know we can't have one of our team members distracted by trouble at their homes, even if it's not their fault."

Red Arrow scoffed back at the Martian's words, interrupting before the Boy Wonder opened his mouth to speak. "There's **nothing** Kid Flash can do about it. He didn't choose to get slandered by Rudolph. It's been that way for years. I'm _still_ surprised we did not find out any sooner."

"I can do something about it." Superboy tightened his fist in a ball. "Nobody hurts my friends." M'gann telepathically calmed him down; reassuring him and the team they will find a way to help their beloved member. "After we accomplished getting the information we need out of Kid Flash's dad, we can proceed to give the information to Barry to be used in the courts."

Behind them, the team heard the voices of a man and a woman edging near the gaming expanse from the room beside it. Kaldur signaled the team to put a halt to the conversation as Black Canary and Flash entered the room.

"Red Arrow, Flash needs to talk to you." Dinah announced. The smug speedster motioned with his head to follow him, Roy complied. "What do you need Barry?" Red Arrow raised his eyebrow sardonically.

"Wally needs someone he can relate to. I'm sure you won't mind following me to his room. I warn you, the kiddo's asleep. If you want to wake him, turn on the lights and kick the bed." Barry entered the code to unlock Kid Flash's door, stepping aside as he let Roy in first. Red Arrow flipped the switch and grabbed a seat by the bed, doing exactly what he was told. He kicked the bed repeatedly, garnering a slight arousal from the boy sleeping in it. Thinking Wally would wake up, he spoke out. "Kid, you okay?" Barry chimed in when Wally didn't answer. "I think you're going to have to do much better than that. This kid won't wake up, even if an airplane flew over him." Frustrated, Roy struck harder, this time moving the top part of the mattress of the second. "Wally, wake up!"

"Hnng." The teen slowly rose, wiping the results from crying off his face. "What the hell?" Wally quickly observed the room, turning his head to Barry then to Roy. Judging by Flash's protégé expressions, the speedster seemed addled by their appearance in his room. Red Arrow waited for the boy to say something else. Kid Flash stared at his eyes longer than the standard amount of time people usually gaze at him. "I totally forgot you had green eyes." Kid Flash pronounced.

"No, I have rainbow eyes." He sarcastically replied. Roy mentally slapped himself_. 'Just go along with the conversation Roy. Go along with what Barry wants you tell Wally and leave. You can do this. Only a couple of minutes of small talk, it's not going to kill you…yet.'_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Stay tuned for Chapter 5. Anyone have any ideas? If so, leave a review letting me know.**


	5. Pay Up or Stand Down

**I've been running out of ideas as of late, so I whipped up a short chapter for Keeping Distance, Courting Disaster.**

**Fear not, dear readers, for I have more to write in the future! **

**Up, up, and away! *flies***

**Disclaimer: Cross my heart and hope to die, DC Entertainment/Cartoon Network, please spare my life.**

**Do. Not. Own.**

* * *

><p>After confessing to Kid Flash about his sexuality, Red Arrow tried to speed up the conversation by being brisk and cutting to the chase rather than sticking around. He couldn't see the kid in his current state, yet Barry had asked him to tag along to make his nephew feel better. In a way, he was half-forced to. Part of him did want to comfort his friend, but he said enough to let him know how much he cared. He had other things to do. Not right now, but tomorrow he did have to take out some drug lords that needed to be captured. He had let them go on far too long. The decision to get a good night's rest was starting to sound even more alluring that it had been before.<p>

Roy walked a few blocks out of the sewers where the beam transmitted him to and spotted his motorbike hidden underneath pieces of scrap metal in the dark alleyway beyond. He picked up the metals, tossing them inside and lifted the kickstand of his motorcycle up as he revved the engine to bring it to life. A sparkling object on the ground caught this eye as he bent down to pick it up. The object was a silver chain. Probably from some gang member, Roy didn't really care. Finders keepers, loser's weepers, they say. There's no point in feeling bad about taking it if no one was around to claim it. Besides, the necklace was pure silver! That could buy the archer more arrows. And maybe pay some rent. He shook his head of the thought. _I'll keep it for now. Never know when someone may want it back._

He soon found himself speeding along the path leading to his apartment. All of the roads leading to the building were clear of traffic, the traffic lights glowed green; a perfect night for speeding without getting pulled over. Once he got inside the flat, he removed the Kevlar suit and cargo shorts, replacing them with a pair of black gym sweats and t-shirt. He dug inside the pockets of his other clothes to fetch the necklace. Satisfied after verifying that the object for a second time wasn't made of fake silver, he put the chain on. _Might as well see how this thing looks on me. _He found a mirror close by to observe on a scale of gangster to Eminem how it looked on him. He grimaced when he decided he looked more Jersey Shore than any of the above. Instantly, he removed it and quickly made his way to the bed in his bedroom. He closed his eyes, wrapping the navy-blue comforter around him. The world would have to deal with Red Arrow another day. Right now, the archer deserved a good night's rest.

Today had been a long day. A day Roy wished he didn't have to face again, but he knew the worst was yet to come. Not for him, at least in terms of speaking who'd be the one to suffer. The one who would have to go through some sort of pain would be Wally's father. Rudolph would find out soon enough.


	6. Love is Not the Enemy

**A/N: Writer's block. Yada yada. Excuses, excuses. I have no excuse. **

**Here's all I've got so far.**

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><p>The time slipped by as the months progressed. Barry and Iris won the custody hearings, Wally lived a happy life sans the bullying at school. He gave those bullies a peace of mind, and gave his speedster friend a bit of advice soon thereafter. They never messed with him again, and that made Wally feel a lot better about himself. Still, Roy and Wally saw very little of each other despite the duo working side by side when the situation called for it. Occasionally, they did meet outside of their other identities when not fighting crime, but considering Batman always assigning Wally's team missions, that occasionally turned to rarely.<p>

Roy shook his head, tossing the wondering thoughts aside. He was Wally's friend. Do friends worry over each other like this? If friends didn't, what then? Wally had been through hell and high water these past months. I'm pretty sure there's a handbook about friendship somewhere that states it's okay to take a kid under your wings when they truly need your help. Oh well, that was then. Got to focus on the mission at hand, worry about the rest later.

* * *

><p>Red Arrow descended from the rooftop adjacent to where the bank robbery took place. Below him, one of the criminals turned around staring at the free-falling hero. Startled by Roy's appearance, the antagonist wielded his gun. Roy noticed this and produced a weapon of his own, releasing the trick arrow before the attacker had chance to rob his life. To his own amusement, the archer went for the high density polyurethane foam to engulf the target. He smiled as he landed with an inaudible thud, sprinting towards the crime scene. <em>One down, a few more left to go.<em>

A loud and audible bang followed by the screams of victims nearby caused the archer to stop dead in his tracks. _Not only did the enemy bring guns, they also brought c-4's. Great._ Roy stared ahead as shards of glass lay scattered upon the asphalt. Various objects were also sprawled across the scenario. Generally, Red Arrow would stop and check to see if anyone was hurt and needed help, but the piercing cries inside called to his attention more than anything else. _Let the ambulance handle the citizens outside, leave the rest to me._

Making sure not to garner any attention from the enemy, he swiftly made his way behind one of the desks that managed to survive the impact. Whispers could be heard above him while the soft sounds of footsteps barely went unnoticed. The tempo increased as the footsteps moved closer. Whatever was heading in his direction wasn't in the building, but they sure as hell were moving closer at an alarming rate. It wasn't until Roy glanced behind him that he spotted the all-too-familiar red and yellow blur advancing with no intentions of stopping.

_Colonel Mustard 's here to ruin my day. What's does he want? _The speedster managed to stop dead in his tracks in under a few seconds, but Kid Idiot didn't realize the reason why his archer friend crouched below one of the desks until the bullets started to circle around him. Thank whatever gods his friend had the freakin' super speed. Otherwise, he might have actually gotten himself shot. Instead, he raced past the bullets disarming one sniper as Roy brandished his bow to demilitarize the rest with a few trick arrows. They didn't so much as kill them, rather render them useless.

Once they finished up the job by rounding up all the criminals and turning them into the authorities, Red Arrow took Wally by his wrist. Guiding him to an alleyway nearby, the archer glared at the meta wore a foolish grin on his face. "What's up, buttercup?", he asked while grinning even wider. Roy sighed. Attempting to maintain his cool, he relaxed his grip on the ignorant red-haired teen. Seeing as yelling wouldn't get him anywhere, he decided to take a different approach. "Oh, nothing much. Except for you blowing my cover!" _Okay, I lied. The kid **had** to show up. Yea, we caught the damn criminals. I could have caught them myself. _

"Blowing your cover?" He snorted, "They knew you were there already genius. You so needed help."

"We'll talk about this in a safer place. Follow me. **Now**."

"Where do you intend to take me, o' great prince of mine?"

"Shut up and follow, Wally."


	7. This City is Far From Here

**A/N: Short chapter. Next might be the last. Any suggestions to improve? Let me know. :)**

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><p><strong>7:04 a.m. <strong>

**Star City**

**Months after the confessions.**

**Present-day.**

"Wally, wake up."

"Hmmm. Artemis?"

Roy frowned. "No. Try harder this time."

He opened his eyes to Roy standing over him with a hand over his hip. "Oh hey, handsome. Lookin' good in the rough hours of the morning. What's cooking?"

"Nothing yet. Tell me," he spoke, now crawling on the bed to the bleary-eyed speedster. "would Artemis be in Roy Harper's apartment?"

Wally's expression turned to guilt as he searched for a suitable explanation. "Erm...no. I wasn't dreaming of her, I swear."

"Right."

"I swear!"

"Wally."

"Yes, Roy?"

"I don't care."

"But you sai-"

"I love seeing that look on your face like you did something guilty." he admitted, smirking devilishly at the befuddled red haired mess. "Kinda proves who's the dominant one in the relationship."

"You, the dominant one? Pfft! I'm one of the fastest men alive. I can dominate you in a split second."

Seeing Wally protest was one of the things Roy liked about the guy. You can definitely tell Wally was into guys from the start. Same as Roy with the hand over the hip. C'mon. It's so typical and stereotypical. And...dare he say it? _Cute_. The argument added more to Wally's ambrosial personality.

Roy contemplated the speedsters words before deciding to continue this little 'charade'.

"Prove it."

"I will."

"All talk and no move. I see how it- Hey!"

Fastest man alive? Turns out he's right...in a way. Once below him, the younger teen pinned the archer to the bed. Roy pretended he was trapped just for the sheer enjoyment. "Looks like you've got me. What now?"

"How about we finish what we started last night?" He winked, slowly nipping close to Roy's collarbone. A deep, low growl emitted from the base of the archers throat. Satisfied, his lips collided with Wally's own. "You want to re-think that question?"

"Scared, Harper?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

"I'm game if you're game."

"I'm always ready. Take off your clothes so we can get down to business."

* * *

><p><strong>1:23 p.m.<strong>

Roy pushed Wally to his side, shoving and poking in his desperate attempt to wake him up. Apparently, you _can_ wear out a meta-human. The archer mentally noted this as he continued to poke and prod the speedster out of his slumber. They were supposed to meet up with Batman in Mount Justice in about thirty minutes. If Wally didn't wake up any sooner, he'd be in deep trouble. Not with Batman, but with Oliver Queen himself. Roy didn't take Oliver's words to heart, but it did annoy him when somebody tries to tell him what to do. Even when you're living on your own and they _can't really have a say in it._ This is what keeping distance and courting disaster brings you. Keep away from the team, invite a disaster in your life. It's like having car insurance, sans the car, but with twice the liability amount. How does Barry deal with this kid? Good thing they were friends. Roy would have shut Kid Flash out of his life years ago had it not been for that. "Wally! **Wake up.**" He hit the floor with a resounding thump. "Ow. What do you want Speedy?"

Roy's eyebrows furrowed. _It's been two years. Two freakin' years. Can't anyone get it right?_ "It's. Red. Arrow. Get your ass up. We've got a meeting in," he stopped to check his watch. "Approximately twenty five minutes. Mount Justice is quite a distance away. We better leave now to make it in time."

"Oh crap, that's today?" Wally said, emerging out of the cocoon-like makeshift blanket on the floor. He rushed to the shower as Roy counted away the seconds.

One fifty three being the current deadline. One twenty nine as the present time. The running water came to an abrupt halt. A whoosh and few seconds later, Wally donned his Kid Flash outfit. The tight fabric outlined every detail. From the slim waist, washboard abs, biceps...he truly was visually attractive. Wally caught sight of Roy checking him out. The teen appeared in front the archer for one last kiss. "You can't get enough of me, can you?"

"Not really. Stop distracting me and let's move."

"Want me to carry you?"

"I'll use my motorcycle."

"Let me rephrase that question. Can I ride with you?" the speedster reiterated.

"As always. Follow me and **don't** distract me. Got it?"

"Whatever you say, Speedy. I can call you 'Speedy', right?"

"You better be glad I love you."

"Pfft. Who could hate me?"

"Artemis?" Roy sneered.

"She's mad 'cause I have you and she was too late to the game."

"Nice comeback."

"Thank you, kind sir." Kid Flash grinned. "Where's your motorcycle again?"


	8. The Final, Part One

** A/N: Might make one more chapter. Dunno. Enjoy?**

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><p><strong>Recognized: Kid Flash, B03.<strong>

"You're late."

"Oh come on, Bats!" Wally wined.

"You were supposed to show up 10 minutes ago." Batman glared at the cowering speedster. Kid Flash swallowed when he glimpsed at the watch for a second time. _Exactly 2:03 PM. Stopping at Barry's house to eat wasn't the best thing to do. Can't blame a speedster for having to eat._ "Uh, yea. About that... I'm...sorry?" he circumvented Batman's glare by facing away no longer than a mid-second. A puppy-eye disguise in place earned him a duplicate scowl from the woman in black that appeared besides the brooding bat. Black Canary didn't seem happy either, but at least it was better than Batman's menacing stare.

"Where's Roy?" she demanded. "And don't tell me you have no clue where he's at, lover-boy."

"He'll be here soon. He took the motorbike. I told him I could carry him, he said no." he admitted. Black Canary smiled. "Then that would make Roy your-"

"Dinah." Batman warned. "Such language isn't tolerated in our base."

"Lighten up, Br-Batman. He's a teenager, I bet he hears this language every day. Besides, I enjoy having fun now and then."

"Er, guys?" Wally interrupted. "Am I going to be punished or sent to a mission?"

Black Canary whirled around smirking at the flustered boy. "Neither. Batman and I have got a special surprise for you and Roy. Consider it...a thank you gift."

"A thank you gift?" he repeated. Black Canary nodded. "You are the greatest thing to happen to Red Arrow since he broke his heroin addiction. He doesn't show his emotions as a hero, nor will he ever do so. But when he was alone, I knew he was suffering. Nobody to share his life with. He may be a hero, a saint to Star City, but he's also a human."

Dinah waited for Kid Flash to speak up before going on. "You may be wanting to ask a few questions regarding this."

_A few? Sure, let's leave it at that._

"What the hell are you guys on? I was informed that we were to go out on a mission today. Did Red Arrow know about this?" Probably not. And Roy, suffering? Yea. He had his moments, but he didn't appear to be depressed. Roy's not the kind to let his emotions overshadow him. "Ollie told me months ago I was the best thing that ever happened to Red Arrow. That's old **news**. I'm appreciate you all wanting to celebrate, really. I just don't think he'd _approve_."

The woman standing next to Batman let out one of the creepiest laughs Kid Flash ever heard. Her shriek sent goosebumps all around his body. "He'll enjoy the party whether he likes it or not."

"Way to get on Roy's bad side, Dinah. Any thoughts on this, Bats?"

"We had our doubts when he began to show interest in you because you were, and still are, a minor. Your uncle's plea after plea persuaded us to change our minds." Batman's pained expression brought back the unwanted nagging memory of Barry Allen, A.K.A: The Flash, tormenting him until he finally agreed to let his nephew date Oliver Queen's once-then apprentice. Batman wasn't going to let the older speedster get away with annoying him as he had a plan up his sleeve to silence Barry's mouth once and for all. ...Temporarily. Depending on how many embarrassing pictures "leak" to the JL Watchtower projection screens.. The more, the better.. Flash pulled a similar prank months prior to Roy's interest in Wally. All in all, the escapade between the two's deemed fair. "And the party was Dinah's idea."

Kid Flash made a face at Black Canary. "He's going to hate you forever."

"Roy, hate me? I doubt it." A robotic voice behind them announced the arrival of the famed ex- protégé. "Kid Flash, you stay here. Batman and I will turn off the lights." Black Canary and Batman disappeared in an instant, leaving Kid Flash speechless.

"Turn off the lights?" the speedster repeated. A faint 'click' and the diminishing lights followed shorty after. "Leave me with a pissed off Red Arrow. Thanks guys."

* * *

><p><strong>Recognized: Red Arrow, B06.<strong>

"Where is everybody?" Red Arrow readied his bow and arrow, prepared to take any enemy/villain that intruded the premises to the ground if they messed with his friends.

"Show yourself!" he yelled in attempt to provoke the antagonist.

"Hey Red. Finally show up?"

"Kid Flash?" he said.

"No, Barry Allen." he retorted.

"Why are the lights off?"

"You shouldn't have asked that..." Kid Flash whispered. "They, um, planned a surprise for us."

Red Arrow cursed and put up his bow, placing the arrows back in his quiver. "I told Dinah I didn't want a-"

The lights flickered on. The entire Young Justice crew and several Justice League members lined the main entrance, bellowing out a hearty "**SURPRISE**!" startling both Kid Flash and the archer besides him.

"Party..." he finished. Red Arrow groaned upon seeing the banner over the group honoring his one year relationship with Wally. Kid Flash was enthralled by the whole event compared to his significant other whom crossed his arms and shot an icy stare at Black Canary. She caught sight in his general direction and returned with an innocent shrug. Red Arrow scowled even more.

"I told her I didn't want a party."

Kid Flash kissed Roy on the cheek. "I know, and I told her that. You want my advice?"

"Not really."

"I'll say it regardless."

"I know you will."

"Want me to?"

"Your mouth, not mine."

"Enjoy the party while you can. You might even come to like it."

"Whatever. Follow me."

Red Arrow pulled Wally towards the kitchen where M'gann was baking various deserts and adding the final touches to her famous gingerbread cookies. The Martian greeted the couple with a overly exuberant hug telling how she's 'happy they lasted this long as a couple' and asking if she 'can be the bridesmaid at their wedding.'. Roy managed to chuckle at the thought. Wally, did not. After conversing with Megan, Kid Flash grabbed a plate of cookies and settled on the couch adjacent to Red Arrow.

"You pulled us away from the team so I can eat?" Kid Flash said in between bites.

"I figured you were hungry." the archer shifted his gaze from the speedster to the static television. "And I hate crowds."

Wally choked on his tenth cookie. "Figures." M'gann giggled as she eavesdropped on the conversation. Roy turned his head, but the Martian proceeded to finish baking as if nothing happened. "Can you blame me?" he growled, "They all think we saved the world or something."

"Relax Red, it's just a party."

"I'll relax when we return to Star City."


	9. Part Two

**A/N: No revision planned thus far. This is the final part.**  
><strong>Mistakes a'plenty. And procrastination is to blame. I'm completely innocent. :)<strong>

**Disclaimer: DC and Cartoon Network own the rights to Young Justice. F*ck you for having Wally and Artemis retire as heroes, YJ creators! The clone Roy is OK, though. I loves me some Roy. Be better if...*dirty thoughts, dirty thoughts*. I'm going to keep it hush-hush.**

**Thanks for reading!**

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><p>The celebration started and ended with an explosion of heartfelt congratulations and applause for the two teens being together for so long. Wally got his cookies, Roy had been granted a few minutes of solitude to get away from the overly excited crowd, and M'gann got her fair share of hours in working to produce the goods needed for the party.<p>

The gathering really wasn't detestable as one would thought. It was actually decent. Who knew a little celebration could be enjoyable? A glitch in the surprise/planned by YJ bash...yes...Superman. Good thing Ollie shut him up before he said his speech. Leave the dialogue and note cards for the public, Supes. **Nobody** wants to hear that. This is not a grandiose ceremony. After all, Black Canary mentioned to Roy that subtlety was their goal. She was aware that he didn't want things totally publicized.

Drinks, snacks (make it a ton), and a late night movie picked by Artemis; the exhausted duo were ready to get up and zeta back to Star City. Specifically, to Roy's (unofficially "their" apartment due to Wally visiting by so often.) flat. Red Arrow had the bright idea to ask Wally multiple questions about the party. Interrogating was more like it. "Tell me," he faced to turn to the shorter red head, "Why did the team go through all this trouble to throw a party for us?" To Wally, Roy appeared teeming with rage. Secretly, Roy did it on purpose. Call it his "game face", 'cause the trick works one-hundred percent with a point one percent error in various cases. The various case being this one.

Seeing Wally blush, turn his head, then to have it focus on his shuffling feet made Roy almost lose control. The archer had to admit, he _did_ look cute in an invulnerable way. Sadly, repeating the question turned a scared KF to a flustered speedster. Four times, to be exact. Roy perceived this as an accomplishment. A speedster being patient over being asked four times? Yep, cross that off as "list-of-things-Wally-has-achieved" from your memory. Roy eventually ceased, albeit with a smile when prying once more. "I'll stop." They continued to walk without striking up another word.

Once they reached the apartment, Roy fished in his pockets to unlock the door. Playfully deceiving his mind is, he concocted a game. A simple game. "Hand me the keys to our place." Just then, Wally froze dead in his tracks when he heard this. "T-the keys? Um. Totally thought you had 'em, Red." _Perfect, he bought it. _"Funny. I remember you taking them last." _Hey, I rarely have this much fun. Gimme a break. Wally's easy to trick. _"You had them. It was you who took them with you on your way out. Hurry up and find them so we can go inside. I'm pretty sure your neighbors will be asking why Red Arrow and Kid Flash broke into your apartment during the midnight hours."

"I don't have 'em." _Jokes on you, I lied._

"Yea. You do."

"No. I swear," Roy crossed his heart with his hands. "I don't have the keys."

:"Who does?" Wally was tapping his feet, annoyed that Roy kept on playing with a coy expression.

"That's the question. I have no answer."

"Fuck! Roy, just find the damn keys so we can go inside. My stomach is sending me signals that I should eat. How? I believe it's beginning to eat itself from the inside."

**-clink**- "Oops." Roy shrugged, picked up the keys and proceeded to the door. The priceless, fuming expression that his partner produced garnered enough satisfaction to keep even Batman smiling. The archer grinned, gestured his hand in a fashion used to let others go by to Wally. Reluctantly, the younger guy accepted it. Roy knew it wasn't over yet. _It was fun while it lasted. _Once inside, Wally pushed him on the couch. "Dude!"

"What?" he laughed. This made Wally fume more.

"My stomach and our identities were at stake here!"

"Feed your stomach, Wally. And who cares if they see Red Arrow and Kid Flash outside of Roy Harper's apartment? They'd see it as a gesture for help, 'tis all."

"Well-"

"Out of words, I see?"

"No." Wally paused, "I just can't believe I fell for your stupid joke."

"Should've asked where the other key was."

"Where was the other key?"

Roy pointed to his heart. "Here."

"Your cheesy pickup lines are actually working for once. I say we take our fight to the bedroom." The speedster held out his hand, Roy took it and followed him. Many assumptions he had to guess to what his lover would end up doing to him, but right now, he was actually surprised one little line got a ticket to paradise. _Could be a trick. Then again, Wally's always finding a excuse to have sex. High metabolism, very high sex drive. A regulars nightmare. Not for me. Just stating the obvious. No one could handle his needs like I can..._

"What do ya plan to do to me?"

"You'll see." Wally's mischievous smirk foretold the event that'd take place. Roy being himself, a challenge is accepted regardless the scenario. Roy's a masochist just like Wally. Except Roy turns it up to eleven. "Bring it."

"Shouldn't have said that." The speedster's eyes glistened upon hearing the words. "I'm always prepared for disaster."

"Wally, have I mentioned I love yo-ah!"

**Several hours later...**

Pale, glistening bodies sprawled out across the king size bed. Roy held his lover close to him, peering to the ceiling figuring what the days ahead would bring. With Wally, it was hard to guess. He could be ominous when angered, but jubilant when cheerful. He put others first before he did himself. Wally was truly distinct. Black Canary turned out to be right. Wally was a lucky one he managed to keep.


End file.
